Blog

#APIStrat Slide Decks Added To Session Page

by Kin Lane on 03/12/2013

I added the slide decks for the keynotes and sessions we have so far from API Strategy & Practice to the conference session page. As soon as we get videos, I will be linking them on the session page as well. Here is what we have for the two days of the conference. Day 1 Keynote: Laura Merling (@magicmerl), VP Ecosystems and Solutions at AT&T (Slides) Track 1 - Music Paul Osman (@paulosman) of Soundcloud (Slides) Evan Stein (@SteinEvan) of Decibel (Slides) R.... read more.

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Netflix API Is Much More Than A Public API

by Kin Lane on 03/12/2013

Netflix has entered the final stages of shuttering its public API last week. Its been coming for a while now, starting in June of 2012, and now is official with the platform no longer accepting new API registrations. After reading about the changes to the Netflix Public API program on their blog, and hearing much of the news in response, everyone seems to file this away, along with the Twitter API--just another API platform screwing over its developers. As I do, I wanted to take a step back, look at the bigger picture and try understand what happened. On October 1st 2008, Netflix launched their public API, and they appear to have done everything right. They had a blog, solicited code samples from developers, accepted application submissions and even showcased the developers apps in the gallery. Netflix would even help promote your app to Netflix subscribers and threw hackathons. The Netflix API team worked to improve API performance, communicate regularly, but really nothing that amazing happened. There were applications like InstaWatcher and WhichFlicks (among others) developed on the API, but as Daniel Jacobson puts it, a thousand flowers didn’t bloom.... read more.

Tags: Deprecation, Netflix, Open source

Five Separate API Event Series In 2013

by Kin Lane on 03/12/2013

When it came to API focused events, the only conference there was to attend was the Business of APIs Conference, from Mashery. They have been putting on the conference(correct me if I’m wrong) since 2007. There wasn’t much of an "API Industry" back then, and Mashery was definitely the pioneer in the space, getting the word out and along with ProgrammableWeb, has done a lot to define the API space. Fast forward five years, and after the successful API Strategy & Practice in February (originally scheduled for November), there are now five API event series going on: It is exciting to see the explosion of events, and I’m hopeful regarding how much progress will occur in 2013 with this many conversations going on. It is also promising to see the international growth, with Nordic APIs happening in Scandinavia, API Days coming from France, Business of APIs in London and API Summit spreading the conversation from United States and Australia. With this amount of buzz, APIs will definitely continue its spread to the mainstream.... read more.

Tags: API Days, API Summit, Nordic APIs

Work On The Next Version Of The Crocodoc API

by Kin Lane on 03/12/2013

It looks like the HTML5 document embedding platform Crocodoc is starting to plan the next version of their API. The are being very transparent about the process (which I like), and putting out the word looking for some new team members to help them get the job one. Over the next couple weeks they want build an API that is simple and easy to use, but also capable of handling tens of millions of document conversations a month. To help get the job done they are looking for: Sales Engineers - Boots on the ground to let them know what people want and to help us engage the developer community JavaScript Engineers - Help them open source the demos we build and design our client-side libraries DevOps Engineers - Help them build the infrastructure we use to convert millions of documents each month I found the Crocodoc posting on Hacker News, but I’m writing about because I appreciate API owner sending out signals that they are planning the next version of their API. This type of transparancy is not just important in helping you find talent to make it happen, it sends a signal to the community that you are beginning a planning cycle and can encourage community feedback and involvement.... read more.

Tags: Document, Embeddable, HTML5, Job

SOA vs. API: The Humans Win

by Kin Lane on 03/10/2013

As the API movement marches forward, it continues to grind against the enterprise and its legacy of Service Oriented Architecture (SOA), which increases the frequency at which people ask me, What is the difference between API and SOA? This is not a technical explanation of the differences, but a philosophical one that many will argue does not apply, but in my opinion is the dark matter around the technological and business approach of SOA, that makes API work. Many say that a web API is just one component in an SOA toolbox. This is true. Using HTTP for an API is not that novel in itself. That is until it jumped out of the enterprise petri dish, got a little oxygen to grow, allowing the introduction of some new aspects that the industry and technology overlords of SOA would never have introduced on their own. While reading the Nation Building in the Age of APIs, by Matt McLarty (@MattMcLartyBC) of Layer7 today, he reminded me that: "Every paradigm shift in technology has been driven by both innovation—the new technology itself—and application—how that technology can be used. In other words, there is a machine side and a people side to every technology change.... read more.

Tags: Humans, people, SOA, Terms of Use

VCS, How Does Your Portfolio Rate When It Comes To APIs?

by Kin Lane on 03/07/2013

As the API Evangelist, I’ve made it my mission to go outside of the Silicon Valley bubble and educate the “normals” about the potential of APIs. In doing this I have conversations with a wide range of folks from new startups, to the GSA in Washington DC. One growing trend I’m seeing is the number of VC and angel investors reaching out, to have me help them understand the API space and how it applies to their investments. I have a couple VC’s I talk to on a regular basis, but I have a growing number of new ones who are investing more and more in technology companies and need to get a grip on this API world. As a Terry Kearns from Oxford Strategic Advisors, LLC, put it yesterday: "I wanna let you know I appreciate all the work you've done here. For a guy who is not a tech guy. You really help me out with a lot, your articles and information help me get my arms around this whole API world" That is my mission. This is what I do. Nobody pays me to educate people like this about the APIs space, but it is so critical that the folks who are investing in the next generation of healthcare, education, manufacturing and other business sectors, understand APIs, at least at a basic level.... read more.

Tags: Angel Investing, Education, Investment, Venture capital

Let's Talk APIs In Scandinavia With Nordic APIs

by Kin Lane on 03/07/2013

Are you ready for more discussions about APIs? I know I am. :) This time its from our Scandinavian friends, with four events in 2013. Nordic APIs is a series of conferences and events held across Scandinavia which provides knowledge and information about APIs. API Evangelist is a supporter of Nordic APIs, and you will find me speaking at the 2 day event in Stockholm in September. I will be speaking with Adam DuVander(@adamd) and John Musser(@johnusser) of ProgrammableWeb, Jacob Ideskog (@jacobideskog) and Travis Spencer (@travisspencer) of Twobo Technologies, as well as the notorious Andreas Krohn (@andreaskrohn). I feel an awakening happening around APIs, and its not just a Silicon Valley thing. People around the globe are becoming more aware of the potential of APIs. I'm getting more and more requests from Europe and South America for API education, resources and tools. We need to support as many of these open, vendor neutral conversations about APIs as we can. The Nordic APIs series is looking for sponsors and support.... read more.

Tags: Conference, Copenhagen, Event, Nordic APIs, Norway, scandinavia, Stockholm, sweden

API Driven Voice Architecture

by Kin Lane on 03/06/2013

I’m working through lists of APIs and API service providers who I’ve rated pretty highly because of their work in the past, but red flags have gone up because I’ve haven’t seen a blog post, tweet or commit from them lately. One of the service providers I’m reviewing is Zypr, which providers voice enabled architecture built on popular APIs. Zypr fits in with my vision of where APIs are going, because Zypr is doing the same thing as aggregation, automation and other trending service providers, but the end goal is this use case is voice. In Zyprs own words: Zypr aggregates proprietary 3rd party APIs, categorizes their functions, and then presents those functions through a single, normalized API. By aggregating and normalizing 3rd party APIs, Zypr creates a stable access point for devices and apps to access those services without concern for service and API changes. That sounds exactly like what Singly is doing, but with voice as the vehicle for making valuable API resources avilable on apps running via mobile phones, tablets and in our cars and homes. I really like the Zypr graphic. I will have to create a similar version to articulate some the API trends I’m seeing.... read more.

Tags: Siri, Voice, Zypr

Mobile and Web Advertising Will Heat Up in 2013 With Heavyweight Advertising APIs

by Kin Lane on 03/05/2013

It was interesting to see Amazon step up in the advertising game with the beta release of the Amazon Mobile Ads API this week. I wouldn’t want Amazon getting into my space, when it comes to any API resource, especially advertising. On the other hand, one can say that the space needs disruption with the dominance of Google with their multiple offerings: Google Mobile Google Adwords DoubleClick DoubleClick Ad Exchange AdMob Adwords Youtube I think we can expect some intense competition when it comes to advertising and specifically around mobile advertising APIs--battling for your eyeballs on smart phones and tablets in 2013. Another layer that will add to the competititiveness with advertising APIs is the fact that all three social media and networking giants have their own advertising APIs now as well: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn With Google and Amazon both having devices in the game (Android and Kindle), it will be interesting how they partner with Facebook, Twitter or Linkedin for the social layer, and where all of this leaves Apple.... read more.

Tags: Facebook Advertising API, Google Advertising API, LinkedIn Advertising API, Twitter Advertising API

Gather Feedback For Your API With UserVoice

by Kin Lane on 03/05/2013

I’m looking at new and innovative ways companies are building analytics and visualizations on top of APIs, and one of the new tools I’ve come across is ImpactStory. ImpactStory aggregates altmetrics: diverse impacts from your articles, datasets, blog posts, and more. But this post isn’t about ImpactStory, I’ll crunch what they do and write about in another post. This post is about their usage of feedback, helpdesk, and knowledge base management tool UserVoice, which is a service I always recommend to API owners looking to support different aspects of their API community. ImpactStory simply has a “BETA - Send us Your Feedback” image in the top right corner of their site. When you click on the logo, you are presented with a simple UserVoice form for submitting your ideas of where you think ImpactStory should take their platform. I think this is a pretty dead simple way of soliciting feedback from your community. Involving your users in your roadmap planning can go a long way in building goodwill with them, and encouraging participation and innovation in other ways.... read more.

Tags: Feedback, ImpactStory, Roadmap, Support, UserVoice